Recent threats of terrorist activity in Europe

Just got done reading about this. Will be interesting to see how all this plays out. I was in Europe back in May but have no concrete plans to return for the next year or so. Of course if I had a trip booked I doubt I would stay away...at least with things as they are now.

Saw it on the net this morning...does not cause me to want to change my trip set Oct 22...will use the same amount of caution that I have used on my other trips.

I actually read a really good article by the AP earlier today that goes into the finer details. The reason they are considering this is because of the plot that was uncovered where terrorists would take people as hostages and kill them with assault weapons. As far as I can tell it's not based on any new information that officials are withholding from us The statement they are most likely to issue is a travel advisory to be vigilant while in Europe[INVALID]a very vague and common sense statement. Some European allies and people within the Obama administration think even this is an overreaction. They have already decided not to release a warning telling Americans to stay away from public places. As for myself, I obviously can't avoid public places entirely, but I'm going to be careful about not lingering in large crowds to the extent possible and perhaps staying away from busier Metro stations, especially during rush hour. Oh, and I am also staying in Paris where the threats seem to be especially intense, otherwise I might not be quite as worried.

OK, so what? Are we going to let vague threats deter us from living as we want; are we going to huddle in fear whenever the lunatic fringe of Islam makes threats? Our next trip to Europe isn't yet scheduled, but I'm tempted to go right now to someplace like the Eiffel Tower and thumb my nose at these jerks. If the Obama administration does this, it will look very weak.

I just saw this on CNN. And while this makes me a teensy bit nervous (I'm a bit of worrier) my husband and I are still taking our planned trip next week. I'm assuming that with this warning being issued security will be increased at all these places?

What in the heck is the distinction between being killed by an assault weapon or by something else? I'm leaving in a couple of days and will have a three-day turn-around between trips before going back until after Thanksgiving. This concludes my reflection on the dangers involved.

I think we run greater chance to be shot by some crazy lunatic here in the USA than by terrorists in Europe. Just watch the news.

On my way to Italy tomorrow. If we were afraid, we'd never leave our houses! I could be killed in traffic in Portland; It happens every day! If we stop living the B______s win. Carry on; Travel on!

When we first began our European travels the IRA was still very actively bombing London. We survived several events then, and if we were going now, I wouldn't change my plans. It is when we give in to terrorists that they really win. Just take precautions, keep your eyes open, and try to enjoy. As someone else said, you can just as easily die in a traffic accident there as here, so do you avoid crossing the street? EDIT- We were even in London (in Paddington station) at the time of the 7-7 Bombings. Like someone says below- when it's your time... and if it isn't....

As I have repeatedly posted - most people have no concept of risk assessment. The greatest risk of bodily injury to yourself is the drive to the airport. Anyone not going to the airport?

Ditto what Frank posted. I would and do not let vague threats like that upset me. I would go to Paris tomorrow if given a ticket,, really. There are threats all the time really, we hardly know the half of them ...

I have a feeling there is something credible that is being tracked, but as they say, by not doing what you want, the terrorists win. The way the media hypes this stuff is like being a PR agent for terrorists.

I'm not concerned in the least about these recent and somewhat vague threats. I WILL NOT be intimidated by those SOB's!!! Prior to my trip this year, many people asked me if I was going to cancel my trip to Greece, given some of the recent events there. There's no way I was going to cancel, and I had a great time! ¶ If I had the money, I'd leave for Europe tomorrow!

As has been pointed out above, this type of news is hyped by the media, whether they intentionally do that or not, one certainly gets that feeling. My complements to Ken on his eloquence and defiance!

Most media reports I have seen, both from the US and European media, have been pretty restrained and responsible, for once. The report on MSNBC emphasized that this was not a warning against traveling to Europe, but an reminder to remain vigilant.

It sounds like there was a Mumbai-type of plot which relies heavily on surprise. The European police forces tend to be very vigilante, well armed and highly trained against these type of threats. US and the EU have done the right thing to warn travelers to be extra cautious. I wouldn't cancel any plans that I had

I've read about these cautions and I'm still going on my trip regardless, and with the same awareness I've used before. I don't let criminals stop me from doing what I want at home and I'm sure not going to let them stop me on my vacation.

I just returned home from a 4 week trip to Europe last night. At no time did I feel threatened, and in fact felt safer out at night than I feel anywhere in the U.S. Anything can happen to anyone at any time. I would rather die in a terrorist attack at the Eiffel Tower than to cower in my house in fear of what may happen if I leave.

Leaving tomorrow at 3:30 AM...for six weeks, will be careful, as always...regardless of what country and city I am in...

As a resident of Germany and registered with the US Consulate, I can tell you that they haven't sent me anything yet. My guess is that if there was some sort of threat, they would contact us American citizens living here. Downtown Frankfurt was packed with people today to celebrate Unity Day and I imagine all the other large cities were the same....That said, I am a firm believer that when your time is up, it is up, no matter what you are doing. This allows me to just go about my business and life without worrying about anything.

My first trip to Europe was to Spain, 1 week after the Madrid subway bombings. Everyone told me not to go. But I went and had the time of my life. My second trip was to London a few months after the subway/bus bombings. Everyone told me not to go. But I went and had the time of my life (until I lost me camera). My 3rd trip was to Germany where Al Qaeda was threatening to bomb certain things in Germany for their involvement in Iraq or Afganistan. Everyone told me not to go. But I went and had the time of my life. What are we to do when this happens? Live our lives the way we want to.

Despite the feelings of many on this board [INVALID] mostly veteran travelers [INVALID] these warnings will scare off first timers. They also scare extended family members who don't travel internationally. Even without these recent warnings, I have family that express concern about foreign travel.____ Some may recall that there were people coming on this board last spring saying they were canceling because of the volcano, Greek economic crisis, etc..... It doesn't take much to push some first timers away. That is unfortunate.

I would not cancel my plans for the same reason I don't buy lottery tickets. The odds that it will be me are really, really low. Howver, I will admit I get a little nervous when I hear these reports. Most people I know do too. ..... I also think the government has an obligation to let citizens know about potential threats. It's a tough call sometimes, and I would hate to have to make those decisions. But I think we need the best information, so each person can make the best decision for him/her. Let's be honest - we all make adjustments based on the threats that we face. For example, I wouldn't take a walk in Central Park at night, and I lock my house when I go to bed at night. Perhaps the day will come when I curtail my European travels. I hope not, but you never know. That doesn't mean I will stay home and be afraid. It means I will travel somewhere else or stay home and have fun here.

I just bought a helmet and some chain mail for the drive to the airport.

An excellent article/blog from USA Today.....http://usat.ly/b3GhFX

Yes, Jo! My co-worker said his dad used to say: "If you are meant to hang, you are not going to drown." We used to live in Germany when Americans were under target by various groups- we had to check our cars for bombs every time we went somewhere. Right after we moved away, some Americans were killed, in Frankfurt, I think. When we visited London, there was an IRA bomb threat shutting down part of downtown, and our taxi had to take a different route (and he shut off his meter- what a sweet man!) That said, I am a bit nervous, because I am going in December with my daughters, and I am responsible for their safety, and as a mom- it does make me pause. I won't cancel, but I will be more vigilant. I did get a state department warning a couple weeks ago in email about Paris, because I have our trip registered.

Was at Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower on Friday. The top floors to both were closed and there were metal detectors at the Eiffel Tower (but I think they are there anyways) and bag checks.

Michael from Phoenix-thank you for showing some compassion for us newbie European travelers. I think it is much easier to be dismissive and cavalier about these kinds of things if you are already comfortable with European travel. I'm leaving for my first trip to Europe (specifically, Paris) on Saturday. It is stressful enough just trying to figure out and complete the required preparations, and then figuring out how to get around once we're there. So yeah, I am a little nervous. I'm really glad we are getting to go, though, because we were forced to cancel a planned 3-week trip in April because our flight was canceled due to the volcano and we could not get any information on when we would be able to fly over there. Thankfully, the airline refunded our tickets.

If it's going to be Mumbai style, it's a good reason to avoid the four star hotels and stay in the mom and pop places. The budget hotels/B&B's don't make good targets. They're too small, too few guests and there are no class-envy bonus points for killing rich people who stay at expensive hotels.

Except that the Mumbai terrorists also attacked the the main train station, the Leopard Cafe (which is very popular with western backpackers), a cinema, a Jesuit College, and a Jewish Center. Of the 166 victims 29 were foreigners, the rest locals. The terrorists didn't just go after business travelers staying in 5-star hotels.

So many worries: Swine Flu, bed bugs, terrorists. What's next...fear of running out of Mozartkugeln, fear of the Loup Garou? Go on your vacation & don't worry about it...just pay a bit of attention. You'll have plenty of real worries when you get back, like credit card bills and rent.

Good grief! The news this morning said the Japanese have come out with a similar warning. I thought all I had to do was clean up the kitchen mess and cut the grass before Herself comes home so I could get the heck on the road. Now, I've got to run to K-mart and get a scarf and some magic markers to work on my white sneakers so I don't look like an American. Plus, I'll be traveling with a guy with a couple or three purple hearts - - you know he's a magnet-butt. Maybe I should just stay home and hide under the bed.

Just a quick word on the eventuality of Mumbai-style attacks, in France at least: since the 1990s there is an anti-terrorism plan in place known as Vigipirate (which has several levels of alert); part of it consists of having armed patrols of soldiers and policemen in heavily populated areas. I doubt that any attack could be as sustained and lengthy as the Mumbai one, as a rapid response could be put into place. In fact armed military patrols are not a rare sight in French cities and metro stations. On another note yesterday evening I vaguely wondered whether I should take the metro in order to go to work this morning, and decided that I would as no amount of terrorist sword-rattling is going to force me to wake up half-an-hour earlier than usual!

Yes, I also heard and read some of the media news about the terrorist threats, and this isn't good. However, I have gone to Europe 5 times in the last 6 years and loved every minute of it. I traveled the trains, planes, buses, and rented a car, and was never bothered. I remember, a long time ago, I was going to take off on TWA to go to Rome and a TWA plane was hijacked that left from Rome to Cairo. Now, that was scary. Yes, I don't like travel warnings or alerts, but the government, any government, should alert its citizens, just in case. Let's hope no one is actually attacked and killed, or any of the beautiful places destroyed. If I had a ticket to Europe I would go, but I am planning to go next year. I saw Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana this year. Happy Travels and Take care.

Since the mid-1980s I have seen military patrols in France patroling always in groups of three in cities and train stations. If "they" have in mind a Mumbai type of operation, they won't be dealing with ordinary Indian police or army but the crack SAS in England. Let's all hope this just fizzes. But be vigilant and alert.

Knowing nothing except what I've heard from the older boys in the locker room, I'd suspect that the SAS would be spread rather thin if they tried to cover all of London, let alone the rest of the UK; a similar problem would probably exist for the 1st and 2nd Para in Paris and the rest of France. My reading on the subject suggests that you need to fight a battle with what you have on hand when it starts. It seems odd to assuage fears with the notion that specialists are going to be camped out at an unknown location waiting for something to happen at an unknown time.

Judey- Don't let this advisory overly concern you. Just use common sense, and pay attention to your surroundings. If you see unattended luggage/pacakge, or see someone acting strange, just tell the authorities. In London it is always easy to get to the transportation police in the tube stations and to a bobbie on the streets. I'm sure other major destinations are similar. I remember the first time we went to Vienna. It wasn't long after the attack on their airport. It seemed strange to see armed soldiers patroling the airport. But it did reassure us. A bit like closing the barn door after the horse is gone, but still reassuring. I'd also allow extra time at the airports- security is liable to take a bit of extra time- and patience.

I don't if anyone is aware of this....but....under U.S. law any safety warning or advisory that is given to U.S. government personnel stationed overseas must be made public and given to the general U.S. population as well.......Someone also asked me when I would definitely cancel my travel plans. Well, while there's no fixed rule, I would say that if the U.S. evacuated the families of Embassy personnel from an area, I would probably stay away. This has not been done in Europe or are we even close.

Probably more chance of getting killed by a crazy European driver than by terrorist. This is just the knee-jerk reaction that terrorists want. They want to "terrorize" people and disrupt their lives.

Rick has some excellent thoughts on this situation on his current Blog. There is also a somewhat spirited debate occurring in comments that have been posted.

True, I totally agree that "what you have on hand when it starts" is decisive, given the uncertainty as to place and time. In that case we had better put our faith in the local English police and their anti-terrorist training and intelligence gathering before their being reinforced by the SAS and regulars.

Judey, no one, especially experience travelers, are trying to be dismissive or cavalier. Just giving a little perspective so that you can understand the true risk. There is risk in everything that we do. Scott has it right. You are more likely to be injured by an European motorist than a terrorist. Last year 33,800 folks were killed on American highways and streets. That is about a 100 a day or about one every 15 minutes. And I would assume a similar rate in Europe. A very good reason to avoid streets and highways. But people still rent cars and drive in Europe and here because they view it as an acceptable risk. How many were killed by terrorists this past year? Even IF there was some type of an attack somewhere, the true probability of any single individual being anywhere near it is extremely low. So low I would not even think about as I climb into my car. To tell you that you have nothing to worry about is very truthful. You have nothing to worry about.

You're right Michael,I was thinking about the things you can control.............. In addition to expensive hotels, you could avoid the main train station. Use a suburban station, the main one will almost certainly be the target of choice................ You could always take a taxi. This is an expensive option but keeps you out of the subway, which could also be targeted. You might also avoid commuter rush hours since the goal is to attack when it's crowded.....................Checking in for your flight electronically and having carry-on only keeps you out of long lines in airport lobbies, which were also targeted. Once you have passed security, you are less likely to be attacked.

The police were caught completely off-guard in Mumbai. When they did respond they were outgunned by the terrorists................In Europe, especially with advance warning, the response is likely to be speedy and more effective.

French police have arrested several suspects in Marseille (where I live). Apparently they have been watching them for some time.

Noticed last week whilst waiting for a train at the Gare du Nord, a very high level of well armed army guys. Read in the paper the next day they were Alpine Troops brought into the city to patrol 'high risk' areas. When flying out of Frankfurt last Wednesday, there was also a high level of police security patrolling the departure areas. To hell with 'em I say. Getting out of bed is a risk.

Not going to worry me about travelling to Europe.

Thank you so much for all these posts! My friend and I are leaving for London to Paris to Lyon on Tuesday and have been a bit worried about the plane and trains due to the terrorist threats. This thread totally eased my mind to hear others are going and are not letting the fear stop them. It is sad how terrorists really do invoke terror. But, I appreciate hearing all of you saying to still go!! Thanks!

I was in France/Italy oct 2-20 during the time the USA issued a travel warning. Despite the warning I feel much safer in europe than any large city in the USA. The only thing I watch out for is pickpockets in he Paris metro. I like the european cities as people eat late and I feel safe walking the streets of Paris,Rome,Amsterdam ect late at night.